Heartfelt Offer 

 
The day they drag you across 
the room by your hair, lean  
you up slumped over on a chair  
and thrust a bayonet through  
your broken hand into the  
wooden table in front of you  
before then taking hat pins and 
slowly forcing them under your 
fingernails, one at a time over 
and over relentlessly, is what  
I wake to - every fucking day. 

This is the most basic of 
the tortures available 
and 
I’ve got plenty more  
nightmares you can  
borrow any time 
you want. 

  
---------------------------------------

Nightfalling 

 
She moaned, my face between her thighs.  
Outside, the sun grew dark, children left their  
playgrounds to go inside to bed, calico cats prowled 
alleyways, priests thought briefly of abusing the weak,  
drinks were drowned in bars and parlors, wagers were  
placed, nightmare screams were had, a tiny girl cried  
out for her mother, police cars roamed and pounced,  
hookers stood forlorn, junkies sold themselves for just  
one fix, televisions sputtered, kittens jumped the dog,  
old flames wondered and regretted without ceasing,  
smart phones begat Terminators, laughter brought  
peace to distant regions, honeybees cast about for  
stems, spouses huddled together in their unmade  
beds, sounds emerged, of smoldering liquid panting  
grunt sighs in delighted silence, unrestrained.  
She moaned, my face between her thighs.